Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - hands-on

The most magical entry in the series yet

Playing Rockstar’s Bully made us realize how fun games set in school can be. And also made us wonder why EA has never made free-roaming, school-based Harry Potter games - obviously substituting the cricket bat weapons for magic wands and the bike-stealing with flying brooms. Surely nothing would be better than getting to explore the vast Hogwarts, go to Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons and unleash “Petrificus Totalus” on Professor Snape.

Well, you’re about to find out, because Order of the Phoenix is shaping up to be just that game. EA has painstakingly recreated 75 Hogwarts rooms - everything from the Great Hall to the Owlery and dormitories. And they’re all open for you to explore right from the start, as the game has a free-roaming structure, based around recruiting students into Dumbledore’s Army, the secret society Hermione and Harry have come up with to foil the sinister Professor Umbridge.